


When the Whole World Wants You to Take a Nap.

by GimbleGamble



Series: Garden Bed [3]
Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Comfort, Comfort comfort comfort, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Polyhermits - Freeform, a nice little fic to wrap around your shoulders when it's cold, garden bed, idek babes I'm just, persona shipping, rated just in case, soft, sometimes when you need a comfort fic you just make one lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:02:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25071343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GimbleGamble/pseuds/GimbleGamble
Summary: Iskall wants to get work done during his break. A particularly sleepy moustached hermit and even the world itself seem to have other ideas.
Relationships: Iskall85/MumboJumbo, Mumskall - Relationship
Series: Garden Bed [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800265
Comments: 16
Kudos: 102
Collections: Hermitcraft Fluff





	When the Whole World Wants You to Take a Nap.

**Author's Note:**

> Who ordered the soft and cuddly Mumskall? I did. And I'm willing to shaaaare.

* * *

Iskall huffed, parking his butt on one of the many shulker boxes that littered his industrial district. In a rare moment of break from Stress' mayoral campaign and building The Omega Tree of Doom™ he chose to get some work done on the transport system for his mega farms.

So much for a break, he laughs to himself wiping the sweat from his brow, he did admit that working on the rails was oddly relaxing and the silence around him helped with the very much needed decluttering in his mind. He yawned.

Okay maybe this was a bit _too_ relaxing.

It was a bit past noon and the sun beating down on him had thankfully dulled as thick sheets of clouds rolled in. A light breeze caressed his face and ruffled his hair, it felt like the whole world was lulling him to sleep. It was the perfect weather for a nap and it's getting really hard to fight off the urge.

He looked around at the beginnings of his industrial district with a huge smile on his face. It might be slow going but he did say he'll pay more attention to the aesthetic side of things this time around, and boy seeing the end results was a lot more satisfying than he thought it’d be.

His eyes flicked to the map of his neighbour expecting to see progress rivaling his own, he was pleasantly surprised to see a tiny indicator moving around telling him that Mumbo was working on his district as well.

He didn't even see Mumbo exit from his nether portal this day, given that he was basically sharing it with the spoon.

"I'll make my own portal later" Mumbo had said, surprising Iskall for the upteenth time when he suddenly materialised out of thin air. He was apparently _silently_ watching Iskall for quite some time and he didn’t even notice.

"I swear he's becoming more and more like Grian everyday" he snickers, staring at the little white dot jiggle around the map. Studying it a bit closer, it does look like the movement is a bit erratic.

Well, Mumbo _himself_ is pretty erratic sure, but given Iskall's previous experiences with the man he was fairly sure of what the cause may be.

He's been friends with Mumbo for a long, long time and he knows the man's sleeping habits by heart. He'd focus on a project for four to five days barely sleeping in the process, then crash for at least twelve hours. By the look of things he might be near a crash.

He took his communicator and tapped out a quick message.

> >Iskall: hey mj
> 
> >Iskall: u ok bro?

Iskall waited for a reply and glanced back at the map, raising his eyebrows when he saw that the dot was gone. Before he could worry too much the sound of rockets rang overhead.

Mumbo landed by the nether portal. A quick scan of his features basically confirmed Iskall's hypothesis. The dark circles under his eyes and the unkempt hair, even his suit was disheveled to all heck. The man looks exhausted, ready to drop at any moment. Mumbo squinted at Iskall's general direction.

"oh hey dude" he waved, then yawned, stumbling towards the portal. Iskall sprinted towards him, worry etched on his features.

"dude what the heck!" he caught Mumbo by his wrist and yanked, not at all surprised to find no resistance whatsoever "when did you last sleep?"

Mumbo hummed leaning against the frame, slowly but surely sliding down til he was sat on the ground. Iskall sighed, crouching down and placing a palm on Mumbo's forehead to check his temperature. All good.

"don't remember" Mumbo muttered, eyes fighting to stay open. Iskall whistled.

"that long huh, right let's get you back to your base" he effortlessly scooped up the half-asleep hermit in his arms and stood, smiling softly as Mumbo wrapped his arms around his neck, securing him in place.

Iskall chuckled.

“why are you so cuddly when you’re sleepy?” he asked with an affectionate grin. Mumbo shifted.

“Oh, sorry” he apologized sleepily, starting to withdraw his arms. 

“no no no, I was just asking, please wrap your lovely arms around my neck once more” Iskall stated matter-of-factly, he heard Mumbo laugh quietly as the arms around his neck fell back into place. After double checking everything he stepped into the swirling purple soup and entered the nether.

The dry cold of the nether roof bit them almost immediately, slipping through whatever gaps their clothes had to lap at their skin. Even the heat vents from the holes punched into the bedrock were no match to the ambient temperature of their surroundings. Pulling Mumbo closer for warmth, Iskall started a nice leisurely pace towards their jungle nether portal.

As good as elytra were, they’re pretty unreliable carrying two people at a time, especially if one was asleep.

“I- uh, do I even weigh anything to you?” Mumbo asked sheepishly, feeling a degree more awake than before. He’s in a state of an equal amount embarrassment and wonder, seeing how smoothly Iskall moved despite his added weight.

“oh I thought you’d be asleep by now” the swede hummed “about the same as a sack of potatoes” he shrugged easily, jostling his fellow redstoner.

“what? no” Mumbo scoffed, he seemed offended even, surely he’d weigh more? He has muscle right? A bit more mass than a measly sack of potatoes?

“you’re actually a lot lighter than I remember, are you eating right?” Iskall asked with a raised eyebrow, Mumbo groaned throwing his head back, making their balance a bit wobbly for a split second.

“You sound like my mum” he huffed, before absorbing the rest of Iskall’s words “wait, what do you mean?”

“hm?”

“what do you mean I’m lighter than you remember?” Mumbo blinked, staring at Iskall with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Iskall chuckled.

“weeeell if you must know, you have the tendency to fall asleep wherever when you crash after a couple of days of work” he started “I can’t count how many times I’ve found you asleep, tangled up in the Sahara restocking facility last season” Iskall laughed at the memory.

Mumbo felt his face heat up, eyes widening even further in a mix of horror and embarrassment. He hoped that this was a bit Iskall was doing, a joke, a little prank, but the sincerity in the swede’s voice just drove it home.

“I just carry you home every time” Iskall continued ”well not every time, sometimes I just leave you in the nearest bed I could find” he snickers.

That would-... that would really explain a lot of things. Specifically, all those times he’s woken up in random hermits’ beds, sometimes besides the owner of the beds themselves. Not that they minded or anything (some would argue that it was a pleasant surprise but that’s neither here nor there) but waking up besides someone when you don’t remember sleeping in the first place definitely caused a couple hours worth of confusion and head scratching to all hermits involved.

If Mumbo wasn’t as sleepy as he was he’d have some choice words to say to his _friend_. He settles with a glare and a pinch to the swede’s cheek hoping that it conveyed at least a little bit of his frustration. Iskall laughs heartily, knowing exactly what he did to earn said pinch.

“to be fair, it doesn’t happen that often” Iskall assures him, seeing the embarrassment intensify on Mumbo’s features.

“I can’t believe it happens at all” he admitted, subconsciously tightening his arms around Iskall’s neck, hiding his face from the cruel world around them. Iskall felt a laugh bubble up deep inside his chest.

“you can’t seriously tell me that you didn’t know” he sounded so incredulous that it just made Mumbo groan again.

“I-... I didn’t”

Iskall laughed again, this time a bit longer and a lot louder than the last. It actually made him stop in his tracks as his shoulders shook from the force. He knew Mumbo was pretty unobservant at times and so out of the loop you'd think he was hiding in a bunker most of the time, but Iskall didn't expect that it was _**this**_ bad. Mumbo groaned even louder wanting to just curl into a tight ball and sleep, he’d digest this information after he gets his rest.

Iskall squeezed Mumbo in a hug making the spoon yelp in surprise.

“don’t worry about it Mumbo, I got your back” he grins, resuming the walk towards his nether portal “I’ll pick you up whenever I see you asleep in places you’re not supposed to… no guarantees on where I’ll put you though” he added with a cheeky grin, Mumbo rolled his eyes with a huff, cursing his cheeks for burning at his fellow architect’s words

They fell into comfortable silence. Mumbo yawned as he felt his eyes flutter close, appreciating the warmth that seems to be radiating from Iskall himself. The gentle swaying of the man’s steps slowly lulled him to sleep. He sighed softly, feeling his arms go a bit slack. He’s just… he’s just gonna rest his eyes for a bit.

Iskall was humming a soft little tune to keep himself busy, interrupted only by the light snores coming from the hermit in his arms. He smiles fondly, relieved that Mumbo’s actually getting some rest. He couldn’t help himself, maneuvering his arms so he could take a quick peek at the sleeping hermit’s face. He looks so peaceful, any and all trace of tension erased, he looked almost angelic.

Er, don’t tell Mumbo he said that.

The sight of his portal in the distance made him pick up the pace, eager to get out of the nether. Once they were out, the comforting sight of the Omega Tree of Doom™ greeted them. Iskall cursed under his breath realizing far too late that he used the wrong portal. He’s gonna pin the blame on Mumbo there, distracting him by being adorable and asleep in his arms. He sighed.

Mumbo’s base wasn’t too far away from his, and he wasn’t really raring to go back into the cold, arid nether roof. So… a short trek through the jungle it is.

He sets off towards Mumbo’s base, careful not to wake the tired hermit in his arms. He’s still confused on how Mumbo can even function with a sleep cycle this wacky but hey if it works, it works. The only side effects he could think of would be stuff like Hermit Challenges which, honestly wasn’t as annoying as he’d make it out to be. He’d even say that it was… _fun_.

...Don’t tell Mumbo he said that either.

A pleasant breeze passed through them, carrying the earthy scent of the jungle they call home. The sound of rustling leaves surrounded them as It blew through the dense foliage making them sway with the wind. It painted the jungle floor with dancing pinpricks of soft light shining through the treetops. It was absolutely picturesque, the scenery just **_amplified_ **how nice the weather was.

Maybe Iskall _will_ help himself to a nice snooze after delivering the Mumbo package into his base. Oh speaking of.

He stopped in his tracks. Standing beside one of these wrenches is surprisingly intimidating, but it absolutely pales in comparison to the tower in the middle. If Iskall thought the wrenches were big before, the tower just broke all his expectations! Mumbo’s been working on the details and it’s starting to look a lot more whole despite the… what’s the word Mumbo likes to use? ‘ruination’? Despite _that_ happening.

Iskall craned his neck to take in the sheer amount of detail the one wall had, kindly ignoring the other, more blank ones in favor of appreciating what’s been done. He knows Mumbo’s been a bit… unsure with the progress he’s been working towards, but Iskall would reassure him as many times as he’d need.

It’s really starting to look absolutely mega.

Mumbo shifted in his arms, slightly awake and looking around. Once he registered where he was, he moved to stand, forgetting that he was being actively carried. He only succeeded in wiggling in the swede’s arms.

“here’s fine” he mumbled, Iskall raised an eyebrow.

“Mumbo we’re still outside your base, I’d rather deposit you in your bed” he stated, staring as Mumbo sheepishly looked elsewhere.

“well...” he started, trailing off. Iskall’s eyebrows furrowed, refusing to let the spoon down.

“wait, I’ve heard about this!” he recalled an announcement that Xisuma made, was it a week ago now? He remembered chuckling when he read the message because that was definitely something Mumbo would do. “why do you keep sleeping outside?” he asked incredulously.

“I dunno, it’s actually pretty comfortable” Mumbo shrugged eyes gazing downwards at the nice lush grass below them “the first couple of times were complete accidents though”

Iskall frowned a bit, worried that Mumbo’s sleeping habits finally caught up to him and was making him loopy. He relented though, gingerly placing the hermit down on a particularly soft looking patch of grass.

Mumbo sighed, stretching out his limbs, finding a comfortable position before closing his eyes. Iskall blinked, trying to process whatever it was that was happening in front of him. Mumbo does look comfortable though, so this _would_ be counted as a successful delivery. A nice breeze rolled around again, reminding Iskall of his own plans for the afternoon.

He yawned.

“hey Iskall” Mumbo’s voice snapped him out of his stupor, his eyes travelled downwards, looking at the hermit currently sprawled out on the grass below him. He watched as Mumbo patted the space beside him.

Hmmm. Should he? Mumbo does look _ridiculously_ comfortable, and the weather, gosh the weather. He felt gravity pull on his eyelids and another yawn escape him.

“... fine” Iskall gave in, lying down next to Mumbo.

Oh? _Oh?_ It’s… nice? Iskall relaxed, sinking into the soft grass as he inhaled deeply. The ground beneath him seemed to gently cradle his whole body. The breeze rolled through again and everything fell into place, the swaying grass, the lovely clouds floating by, painted a gorgeous orange by the setting sun, soft rays of light filtering through the dancing leaves. He could see everything, **_feel_ ** everything lying here on the forest floor. He gets it now, he **_understands_ **.

It was... _comfortable_.

“oh, you’re right!” he exclaimed, glancing towards Mumbo with wonder. The moment was cut short, however, as he saw that Mumbo already had his eyes closed ”oh you’re asleep” Hm, Iskall reached over through the grass and cupped Mumbo’s cheek, smiling softly as the man leaned into the touch, not as asleep as previously thought to be.

Mumbo’s eyes opened a tiny crack, somehow finding enough willpower to focus on the man beside him. With a soft smirk he rolled closer to the swede lying on Iskall’s arm and tucking himself underneath the man’s chin, wrapping his arms around his waist.

Iskall chuckles, wrapping his remaining arm around Mumbo, sighing in contentment. While he really loves the banter and light hearted teasing he and Mumbo usually participate in, moments like these are definitely something else.

Perfect weather for a nice nap indeed.

* * *

“oh my word, there’s more of em” Xisuma groaned, seeing Mumbo (again!) and now Iskall (!!!) in each other’s arms fast asleep in the middle of the clearing, open to any and all possible mob attacks. He wanted to rub his face in frustration but his helmet was in the way. He heard Keralis snicker beside him.

It was already nighttime. They were supposed to be surveying the lands, seeing if it was possible to connect up everyone’s bases with Keralis’ roads, they just so happened to stumble across the clearing by Mumbo’s base, which wasn’t all that hard since it was lit up like a festival for some reason. Well… the reason was actually pretty obvious now that X thought about it.

“aw Shashwamy, leave em be!” Keralis grinned “I’m sure it’s safe! look at all those torches!” Xisuma rolled his eyes, removing his helmet to deliver the promised face rubs, he sighs through his hands.

“I’m gonna need to have a talk with them tomorrow” he mutters, begrudgingly accepting that it _was_ sort of safe to let them sleep through the night since there were no possible areas for mobs to spawn, whoever lit up the area did so with precision.

“erm, Shashwamy…” Keralis trailed off. Xisuma’s eyes snap towards his companion, he knows that tone of voice and he does **not** like it’s implication. “we have been working for a while-”

“no” he interjected, pointedly raising an eyebrow. Keralis wasn’t even paying attention to him at this point, wistfully staring at the sleeping hermits a couple of blocks away from them.

“and they look so comfy…” he continued subtly bouncing in place. Xisuma looked increasingly panicked.

“absolutely not” he sternly replied. Keralis finally faced him, big puppy dog eyes and the signature pout. Xisuma reeled back “Keralis listen to me…” he pleaded to no avail, it only intensified the pout.

Xisuma felt sweat bead on his forehead.

Crap.

* * *

If there was a feeling Mumbo knew absolutely well, its waking up besides people he wasn't expecting to wake up beside. So when he woke up to a pile of limbs far too many for two people he barely felt any panic. Besides it's nice and warm where he is and he isn't really in a hurry to get his day started.

He looked around, Iskall was still asleep to his left, and to his right was Keralis, clinging to him like a koala. Besides him was Xisuma whose arm pretty much encompassed all of them in a hug, which says something about how tightly they were huddled together in the cold of the early morning.

Mumbo sighed, a small smile pulling at his lips, maybe five more minutes.

**Author's Note:**

> Funnily enough it's not just Iskall who ends up finding Mumbo asleep in weird places, a couple of other hermits does as well. At busier times they drop his coords in the chat so someone with a bit more free time can handle it, this usually ends up being Iskall. Other hermits who completed a Mumbo delivery would be Xisuma, Doc, Cub, Etho, and surprisingly, Grian.
> 
> *Iskall voice* Hallo! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧
> 
> Another soft fic in the pile babes! If we keep this up we'll be able to make a nice soft bed and sleep, perhaps as comfortably as Mumbo would in the grounds outside his base.
> 
> Not gonna lie, writing this has been a journey, things happening in real life really put a damper on things but we pull through everytime. It's why this took too dang long lol.
> 
> Kinda eager to write a spicy fic again and I am looking at this Xisuma/Mumbo bit in my ideas list, aaand I did hint at one of the Garden Bed entries being a lot spicier than the rest and I'm gonna give a virtual hug to anyone who can guess which hermit breaks the streak.
> 
> I do wonder if this counts as Keralis' entry into the Garden Bed series though.
> 
> I'm still on tumblr! Same username and everything. I'd like to thank everyone who drops really sweet messages in my ask box, it's honestly helping me through a lot of stuff. Feel free to ask me stuff or send me pms! I'll do my best to reply.


End file.
